


A Place You Never Did See

by CoyoteGhost



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Blood, Blow Jobs, Brief hint of McHanzo, Explicit Sexual Content, Gabriel and Jack are absolute dorks, M/M, Monster Hunter Gabriel, Monster Hunter Jack, Monster Hunters, Monster McCree, a bit of blood play
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-30 04:42:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17822102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoyoteGhost/pseuds/CoyoteGhost
Summary: Gabriel and Jack are sent to investigate why a once-fertile land has shriveled up and, more importantly, why people keep disappearing. The monster they meet is not quite what they were expecting.





	A Place You Never Did See

**Author's Note:**

> So like, there’s literally no purpose in writing this shit using the excuse of Halloween XD I really just got in the spooky mood and I REALLY wanted some spooky boys. 
> 
> Fic title and referenced drinking song comes from ‘Railroad Track’ by Willy Moon! Check it out here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9x3NxgnJKTk

Gabriel would be the first to admit that he was a careful, if not paranoid, man, but when he received odd jobs like the one he’d been tasked to do, he was perfectly fine with that. Jack was a much less cautious man. He rode through the desert beside Gabriel like it was a scenic tour, like they _weren’t_ possibly riding into their deaths. Gabriel really, really hoped they weren’t.

 

“You’re aware we aren’t going on a picnic, right?” he asked. He could feel Jack rolling his eyes, even as the man trotted ahead of him as if to ignore his words. “We have people to find, demons to slay. It may be our typical contract, but you can’t have your little tea party with Ana if we get killed out here for being foolish.”

 

“I’m very well aware of this, thank you, I’m just- _ah shit!_ ”

 

Gabriel felt like laughing as Jack’s horse startled, but he refrained. Their poor beasts were on edge just as much as Gabriel himself was, and he couldn’t help but sympathize even more as a distant roll of thunder echoed throughout the empty desert. The clouds above them had started to dim the moonlight, but Gabriel felt reassured that it wouldn’t actually rain. The locals told them it hadn’t rained in nearly a century.

 

Apparently the desert they were traversing had once been lush and full of life, with rich, expansive fields of emerald being covered with sheep and cattle. People moved from all over the country to bathe in the prosperity and opulence of the land. It was a place of endless wealth and beauty. Then, out of nowhere, the rivers and the rains had all dried up, and the winds turned foul with spreading decay. Whole towns had been destroyed by sudden pandemics and disease.

 

Many people claimed it was a young witch who sent down her judgment. They said she was angered by the people taking advantage of the land. The locals told them that back when the tragedy was new, the more vengeance folk would go out into the desert to hunt for the witch, hoping that if they could kill her, the earth would come back to life.

 

None of them came back.

 

Eventually people stopped trying to find the witch. They moved farther away from their original homes, migrating until they settled onto the very edges of the desert, and they made it their goal to warn any travelers to find a different way around the endless expanse of sand. Some heeded their warnings. Others didn’t. Just like those who had tried to hunt the witch, the travelers that entered the desert had never returned.

 

They had told Gabriel and Jack as much when they came to find the cause of the land’s death, and had been especially adamant about them at least waiting until daylight. The locals said that they would get lost. Even if they didn’t, the air was still stale, the water had all dried up, and no wildlife remained for them to hunt. Gabriel found it odd, then, that there was a contradiction to their warnings.

 

He couldn’t really tell if it was a dog or a coyote, but whatever it was, the little shit had popped up at _least_ six times since they had stepped foot into the desert. Every time it appeared, it would be a little bit closer than before, and if Gabriel wasn’t so sure about it being just a harmless nuisance, he might’ve been a little nervous about its presence.

 

At this point, he wasn’t even shocked to see that it wasn’t the thunder that had made Jack’s horse startle, but the little bastard instead. It came out of nowhere, really, though Gabriel wasn’t too concerned with where it came from or where it went. He was more concerned with how it stared at them. Just... watching.

 

“You think it’s ever seen a human before?” Jack asked. He had soothed his mount, and was staring at the dog (up close, Gabriel could certainly see that it was, in fact, a dog) with curiosity, perhaps even a bit of sympathy. “Maybe it’s hungry or something.”

 

Gabriel could only sigh as they both came to a stop, Jack dismounting as they did so. He knew his friend well, and so he knew that they probably wouldn’t be moving any time soon. Jack always did have a soft spot for animals. Without wasting any time, Gabriel dismounted as well and started to dig through his saddlebag. He was just happy that he had remembered to pack extra provisions for the rough journey.

 

The dog watched rather attentively as Gabriel knelt down. A chill ran down his spine as he kept a very careful, wary eye on the beast, and, unless he was horribly mistaken, the beast seemed to watch him back. It was almost _studying_ him. Gabriel forced himself to ignore that as he held out his empty hand and whistled.

 

“Come here, buddy,” he called, “Come on. I’m not going to hurt you. I even have a treat if you want it.”

 

He was almost surprised to see the thing perk its ears up, like it understood what it was told (of course it didn’t, though). Its tail even starting to wag as it cautiously, happily, trotted forwards, and the thing really did, quite literally, _trot_. It was a massive dog, bigger than anything that Gabriel had seen before. It was large enough that he suspected it might’ve been mixed with something; it was very possible that one of its parents had been left behind after the people migrated, and it might’ve been the progeny of the wolves that roamed outside of the desert.

 

That was no matter, though. Whatever bloodline it might’ve had, it seemed friendly and tolerable, and perhaps even a bit excited to have new friends. Its body language seemed to proudly display that blatant happiness. It was only disrupted by the visible limp the dog carried.

 

“Poor thing,” Jack murmured, and Gabriel agreed.

 

Its left paw was held so closely to its chest that it really must’ve hurt. It didn’t hit the ground even once as the dog came lumbering forwards, and Gabriel honestly felt obligated to check and see if its leg was broken, or if whatever wound it had could be treated. Still, Gabriel found that he couldn’t really let go of the fact of how odd it was that the beast would be so friendly; Jack and himself were strangers, invaders of its territory who came riding in without notice or care. The dog was wounded as well, which, in Gabriel’s experience, normally turned creatures of all sorts into something more dangerous.

 

Despite all of the odds, though, this dog was truly as friendly as it was massive. It stood a mere two feet away, visibly a bit nervous (understandably), but it wagged its tail and howled in a way that reminded Gabriel of the ‘talking’ he’d seen other dogs do. It was almost amusing to watch. He smiled as he dug into his pocket and pulled out a small cracker, offering it up to the big brute.

 

But suddenly, a chill ran up Gabriel’s spine as the dog shifted. The urge to draw his gun was overwhelming, but before he could act on his instincts, the beast lunged for him, and both of their bodies hit the ground with a sound thud. Instead of meeting teeth like he had expected, though, the weight merely settled on top of him. He realized what was happening as soon as thick, slobbery drool started to drip down onto his forehead.

 

The damn thing was laying on him.

 

Jack’s laughter rang through the air as the dog started to lick at Gabriel’s face. If he wasn’t too busy pushing the thing’s head away (or too afraid to open his mouth, lest the saliva get in there, too), he might’ve cursed at Jack for standing there and not helping him back up.

 

“I think it likes you!” the other man said. He cackled to the point of wheezing even as the dog pushed itself up, moving to where it was sitting on Gabriel’s stomach with its front paw on his chest.

 

Gabriel was much less amused. The dog had to weigh at least a hundred pounds. It honestly had to weigh more, considering it was the size of a small fucking horse. He’d seen ponies smaller than this! Still, its weight or size didn’t seem to matter as Gabriel finally looked up, and he was drawn straight into the eyes of the beast.

 

They were almost like molten gold, mixed carefully with the fire that had melted it. It something that Gabriel had never seen before; not in a man, not in a monster, and _certainly_  not in a dog. If he tried hard enough, he could convince himself that it was truly a plain color, that it had merely been emphasized by the dark fur around it.

 

They were much too human for Gabriel’s liking.

 

Against his better judgment, Gabriel pushed those thoughts aside and shifted until the dog had his (and one good look down confirmed that it was, in fact, a him) body settled between Gabriel’s legs, the injured paw left up for examination.

 

He gave the dog a gentle pat as he carefully grabbed above the supposed wound. “I’m just going to look at it, okay? I’m not going to hurt you.”

 

Gabriel pulled the leg until it was out far enough for him to examine, and as gently as he could, he poked and prodded at the beast’s paw. He whined as Gabriel did so. Still, he didn’t pull away, and so the examination continued.

 

“Is it alright?” Jack asked. He walked a little closer and peered over Gabriel’s shoulder, giving the dog’s head an affectionate scratch as he came by. “It sounds like it hurts. Maybe splinters or something?”

 

There _was_ one splinter, but upon further inspection, it was far from being a piece of broken wood. It was a thick metal nail going straight through the beast’s paw, with the head just barely sticking out. Well, that explained why they hadn’t been able to see it right away. Gabriel winced as he looked at it, placing his fingers on the exposed part of the nail, and as carefully as he could, he pulled it straight out of the flesh.

 

Though the dog yelped, he didn’t pull away or jerk. Instead, after a moment of recovery, he actually started to ‘talk’ at Gabriel like before, and Gabriel was once again reacquainted with the slobber as the beast assaulted him with his tongue. If Gabriel didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought the dog was actually thanking him.

 

“Well, that should do it,” he said, looking up at Jack as he pushed the dog’s nose away, “Now we get back to finding-“

 

Before he could finish the sentence, a blinding flash of lightning shattered the darkened sky, and the subsequent thunder roared above them. While the horses (and, admittedly, their owners) startled, the beast seemed relatively calm. He even looked to be  _happy_. His tail whipped back and forth so hard that it would probably bruise where it hit Gabriel, and he did his foolish talking as he bounced around on all of his feet. He pulled at Gabriel’s sleeve as he jumped back in the directed it had been going. With Jack’s help, he was able to bat away the dog’s teeth as they both threw themselves back onto their mounts.

 

“I... I hate to be that person, but I think it wants us to follow it,” Jack said. They both watched as the dog looked at them expectantly. Lighting crashed above them again, and as their horses cried out and threw their heads, Gabriel found that maybe, just _maybe_ , following the nice little doggy might be a good idea. Both he and Jack turned to look at each other as they soothed the horses.

 

“What’s the worst that could happen?”

 

“Don’t even say that, dumbass,” Gabriel muttered. “You’re going to get us jinxed.”

 

Jack only smiled that stupid sunshine-and-rainbows smile as they turned back to where the dog had been standing, but to both of their surprises, the beast was gone.

 

Nope, no fucking way.

 

Gabriel looked at the ground where the dog had once been. Though there were hills and canyons all around them, there was no actual, physical way that the stupid mutt could’ve ran far enough to be hidden in that short amount of time. Still, painting the ground where the dog had been were crimson paw prints. No other prints from any of the other three feet were present, only the blood from the injured one. It formed a trail that disappeared off into the distance.

 

Once again, lightning struck above them, but as soon as the thunder roared in the sky, small droplets of rain started to fall all around them.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me. I thought the townsfolk said it hadn’t rained in years!” Jack said. He showed the same amount of exasperation as Gabriel as he let out an incredulous laugh. Gabriel joined in on the laughter as he urged his horse to follow the trail of blood.

 

“Whatever,” he said. He prayed that the rain wouldn’t wash away their only hope. “Let’s just find the damn dog. Maybe it knows what we’re looking for.”

 

 

————

 

 

The trail had suddenly ended at the very top of the hill, but even if it’d continued, it would’ve no longer been useful; just below them was a small, abandoned town. They had almost missed it in the darkness of the night. The only thing that gave away its presence were odd, distant rumbles and what seemed to be lightning reflecting off of the windows. Even those things were nearly hidden by the once elusive rain. It poured down in heavy sheets, leaving both the men and their horses drenched as they made their way towards the town.

 

Thunder deafened them as the raced down the hill. Thankfully, a brief flash of lightning gave them just enough light to figure out that there was a large stable at the very edge of town. They headed straight for it, and Gabriel was more than grateful that this place had once been home to livestock instead of anything else. They were both pleasantly surprised that the doors were left partially open.

 

“Well, that was interesting,” Jack said, his laughter breaking through the silence as he shut the doors behind them, then began to remove the tack from his horse. Gabriel followed suit as he dismounted. “It doesn’t rain in, what? A century? And as soon as we step into the desert, it suddenly it comes a monsoon.”

 

“Let’s just hope that we don’t get sick. I don’t want to witness Ana trying to reanimate our corpses.”

 

Jack laughed at Gabriel’s comment, but they continued on with their tasks in silence. It was a nice moment of peace. They were safe from the flooding outside, and while their clothes hung heavily on their frames, they weren’t particularly cold once they had entered the abandoned barn. It was even warm with the lanterns hanging all around them.

 

Wait.

 

Gabriel whipped his head up so fast that it nearly hurt his neck. He thought the lights he had seen up on the hill had been lightning reflecting off of windows or metal, but apparently not. Lanterns hung all around them, plain as day, with the fire flickering calmly, unwavering as wind slipped through the cracks of the barn. Gabriel threw his saddle to the ground as he walked up to a lantern near a stall door. He tried to put out its flame, but every time he blew on it, covered it, or tried to suffocate it, the fire came back like it hadn’t disappeared at all. If anything, it only came back stronger.

 

The only time that Gabriel could get the flame to go out was when he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small holy relic that Ana had given him from one of her travels; as soon as he touched it to the glass, the flames suffocated and died.

 

Great. Just great. Of course the things were fucking cursed.

 

“Hey, Jack?” Gabriel called. His voice was painfully even as he stepped back towards his friend. “You notice anything, I don’t know, _weird_ about this place?”

 

Jack, who had been watching since Gabriel had thrown his down his tack (an odd occurrence for a man who took such good care of his possessions), had witnessed the entire lantern ordeal, and stood back-to-back with Gabriel.

 

“You mean, besides the fact that there are cursed lanterns?” Jack asked. “I think the ghost music would be a good place to start. Just my opinion.”

 

“ _Ghost music?_ ”

 

Jack had been correct. Alongside the supposed reflections of lightning, the odd noises that had greeted the two of them when they came in was, in fact, music. It was dampened by the storm, but now that they were actually in the town, it had grown louder, and now a tune could be made out. It wasn’t a song that Gabriel could really recognized, however.

 

As bad as he hated it, Gabriel knew that they needed to check the location where the music was coming from. It was their fucking job. Jack knew it, too, if the sour look on his face said anything. Gabriel gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he moved to dig through his saddle bags.

 

“Catch,” he said, and watched as Jack caught what he had thrown. It was a necklace made of iron. The many sigils and runes etched into its surface came straight from Ana and her wicked little book. Gabriel shuddered. Nobody but her ever touched that thing, but as long as it contained the protection they needed, he didn’t care if she used blood to write in it. Whatever worked.

 

“Witch protection?” Jack asked as he put the chain around his neck. “Don’t you think it’s a demon?”

 

Gabriel shook his head as he slipped his own necklace on. “The locals said that it was a witch who had killed the land. It _could_ be a demon, but you know those things. It would’ve tried to fight us at the front gate. If it makes you feel any better, though, these things can cripple the hell out of demons, too.”

 

“Fair enough.”

 

The two of them strapped more weapons to their sides before walking to the entrance of the barn. More thunder and lightning greeted them as they finally bit the bullet and jumped out into the rain, but shockingly, it now did absolutely nothing to dampen the music in the air, nor did it block out the lights from the buildings around them. If anything, it seemed to amplify it. Gabriel really, really wished it wouldn’t.

 

Through the rain, Gabriel could hear what one might deem a working song, and above all of the other voices, a particularly melodic one rang out the loudest. As they approached a building, the largest in the settlement, the energy inside seemed to increase as the beat picked up. Boots stomped rhythmically against wooden floorboards, hands clapping along to the tune as rounds and rounds of laughter joined the song. It sounded like a party.

 

As they stepped under the overhang, standing just outside of the building, Gabriel and Jack shared a look of unease. It didn’t matter if they killed a hundred demons and spirits; every time they went out into the field and faced a new monster, they were nervous as hell, and they had every right to be. Still, Gabriel knew he had to push that aside. With one deep, shuddering breath, he swung the doors wide open and walked inside.

 

There really _was_ a party going on. Gabriel believed that there were over a hundred people, easy. They created a boisterous cacophony of hedonistic chaos, all of them drinking and dancing and singing so loudly that it almost hurt Gabriel’s ears. Aside from their shared partying, he found their dress to be odd; some were clothed in travelers gear, armor and all, with others in patched pants and threadbare shirts. The remainder actually wore their Sunday best. It was an odd social scene, to say the least.

 

All of those people were clearly just guests, and it didn’t take Gabriel long to spot the host of the whole thing. At the very front of it of the room was a sinfully handsome young man, smiling so brightly and singing so beautifully that even the flames of the cursed lanterns couldn’t compare, nor could the lively music. His voice, unlike the others, carried throughout the room. It had substance, as did he, and when Gabriel took a closer look everything around him, he couldn’t stop himself from frantically slapping Jack’s arm.

 

“Everybody here is fucking dead,” he hissed, and indeed they were. If Gabriel watched long enough, he could see that the ghosts’ translucent bodies turned opaque whenever they danced into the light of the cursed lanterns. When they were farther away, they started to vanish.

 

The only one who _didn’t_  dissipate was the host, the only one with true substance. Whenever he danced away from the light of the lanterns, his body remained solid, and his voice continued to carry farther than any of the echoes sang by the spectral spirits. Still, something seemed off about him.

 

Though his clothes were plain and made for work, he moved with an elegance and surety not typical of his class. He wasn’t clean by any means; his ruddy cheeks were covered in dirt, his pants and shirt being equally as stained by the mud caused by the rain. Oddly enough, he was barefoot, with his pants legs rolled up to his knees. Gabriel could see that the man’s left hand was bandaged when he came up to brush away the long, wild hair hanging in his eyes.

 

Wait, _those eyes_ -

 

Gabriel felt his heart seizing in his chest as lightning flashed, and time seemed to stand still. Though the light of the lantern had turned them a dull brown, the lightning revealed the true nature of the beast; molten gold and hellish fire, mixed together so violently that it was shocking they could be hidden at all.

 

“I think I found our dog,” Gabriel murmured, and he pointed to the man dancing his way through the crowd.

 

“Do you think he’s a shapeshifter?” Jack asked. “I don’t really think he’s the witch, and he’s certainly not a demon. If he is, he’s the nicest demon I’ve ever met.”

 

Gabriel snorted as he turned to look at Jack, grinning as he gave his friend a rough pat on the shoulder. It wasn’t such a bad scene now that they knew they wouldn’t be actively killed (probably). If it weren’t for the fact that everybody dancing was a ghost and their host was an unknown creature, then Gabriel felt that he might’ve actually _enjoyed_ engaging in such an event.

 

“Alright,” he said, looking at Jack with newfound determination, “It’s time to get to work. We need to-“

 

“Howdy!”

 

If anyone ever asked, Gabriel and Jack both would say that they hadn’t been startled, not one bit, and would deny that they ever jumped or screamed or clung to one another in fear. Nope. No siree.

 

The one who had startled them, and the one who stared at them questioningly, was none other than the man (dog?) they had been searching for. He waited very patiently while Gabriel and Jack pulled themselves together.

 

“I’m shocked to see you both here!” he said once they had settled down. He held out his good hand. “My name is Jesse! What about y’all?”

 

He was most certainly a beast. His teeth were too sharp, his hair too far from human in texture, and, most damningly, his attitude was far from a typical man. No, Jesse reminded Gabriel more of a dog whose master had just returned from a long day at work. How was he human, then? Why was he not in his true form?

 

“My name is Gabriel, and this is Jack,” Gabriel said, shaking Jesse’s hand. “We were hoping you might be able to help us.”

 

The man smiled especially bright, and Gabriel would bet good money that if Jesse were still a mutt, his tail would be whipping around like it had before.

 

“Of course! Just follow me, yeah? I’ll take you to a place where it’s not so loud!”

 

Without giving either of them any time to respond, Jesse’s grip increased until it was almost painfully tight on Gabriel’s hand, then bolted off through the crowd of dancing ghosts. The laughing and singing and cheering became truly deafening. Every time they passed through someone, Gabriel felt himself wince as though he might make contact with solid skin. He wouldn’t, of course. Instead, he became lost in a sea of spirits, separated from Jack in an endless maze of tireless dancing, one that would never come to an end.

 

It wasn’t until rain once again pelted his skin that Gabriel realized Jesse had brought him back outside. It was still coming a monsoon. Despite the chaos and how his vision was now blurred from the storm, Gabriel could piece together that they had come from the back of the building and were now headed towards what looked like another one, even though it was farther off. In fact, it was a good distance away from the town. That was a decent enough motivator for Gabriel to try and match pace with Jesse.

 

In his hurry to get to shelter, Gabriel completely missed the stone at his feet; he went flying face first into the ground as it crumbled when his boots made contact. He was too drenched to feel much shame, and so he let Jesse pull him back up and usher him into the building. Gabriel hunched over to catch his breath as Jesse closed the doors behind them. The darkness was suddenly, terrifyingly, omnipresent.

 

“What-“ Gabriel paused. In the heavy veil of night and with no cursed lantern light to hide them, horrifying eyes cut through the shadows like razor blades. They seared holes straight into Gabriel’s flesh as he stood ramrod straight and backed to the door. Maybe if he ran fast enough-

 

“Please don’t run away. I, uh, I’ll get you some light if that’ll make you feel better.” Jesse’s voice broke the silence more than any thunder ever could. “I just... I’m not used to having people, _real_ people, around me. I forget you can be afraid of things like me.”

 

Gabriel could hear the low whine in Jesse’s words, holding true to his canine nature, and it almost sounded... _lonely_.

 

With a quiet snap, the entire building was suddenly bathed in light. It was true candlelight, with what seemed to be a thousand candles sitting on every hard surface, wax melting onto the floor as their wicks came to life. Gabriel realized, perhaps a bit slowly, that the thing he had tripped on outside was a tombstone; Jesse had brought him into a church.

 

Though it was small and had no religious artifacts inside (they had most likely been taken when the settlers had emigrated), the pews and tiny altar, along with all of the candles no doubt left from night services, remained. The shudders were nailed shut to keep the rain from coming in. If not for the flames that Jesse had somehow provided, then the entire building would still be in darkness.

 

It suddenly made sense as to why they had even _needed_ to light other candles in the first place. Gabriel remembered back to when he and Jack had been in the barn; when they had first encountered the cursed lanterns, nothing but Ana’s holy relic had been able to extinguish the flames burning behind the glass. That being said, whoever placed the lanterns couldn’t have entered the church.

 

Jesse was innocent.

 

Of course he was. The poor thing didn’t seem to have much of an active roll in whatever had caused the land to shrivel up and die. He was just a beast, one who was now in the form of a human, sitting hunched over at the very front of the altar. Even with his back turned, Gabriel could practically see the despondent expression.

 

With silent steps, he brought himself to sit on the front pew, a few feet behind Jesse. He would blame Jack for letting his animal-based weakness rub off.

 

“You said ‘things like me’,” Gabriel said, keeping his voice gentle and hushed as thunder rumbled in the distance. “What do you mean by that, Jesse?”

 

The man kept quiet as he hunched down a little farther. He picked at his bandaged hand, seemingly nervous, while he slowly, carefully, turned his head to the side. He didn’t outright look at Gabriel, but it was close enough.

 

“You know what I am, don’t you? At least a little bit.”

 

“You were the dog we met out in the desert,” Gabriel said. He motioned to Jesse’s left hand, “And I pulled the nail out of your paw. You wasted a perfectly good cracker, by the way, and then you chose to slobber all over my face instead of eating.”

 

The atmosphere almost physically lighten as Jesse laughed at his teasing, and once again, if he had been a dog, Gabriel felt that Jesse’s tail would’ve been wagging. Slowly, as if afraid of getting up, the man warily made his way over to the pew. He then sat straight at Gabriel’s feet, sitting his chin on Gabriel’s knees and looking up at him with legitimate puppy dog eyes.

 

Without much thought, Gabriel gently scratched at Jesse’s scalp; he nearly laughed when the man sighed, lolling his head to the right as he let his arms stretch out on either side of Gabriel’s thighs.

 

“I came here with my family when the people first settled the town. I belonged to the son of my master.” Jesse smiled brightly as he closed his eyes, and Gabriel could only assume that he was remembering those times again. “I loved my family with all of my heart, I really did, but that boy... he was my favorite. Whenever he found the time, he would come outside with me and we would play in the river. He loved to chase the little baby fish.”

 

If Gabriel tried, he could imagine the long-forgotten world that Jesse had once belonged to. He could see a bustling town of eager settlers, seeking the promise of new life in a lush, fertile land where they planned to build their homes, raise their children. It was easy to imagine a large, clumsy mutt running through creeks with a young child in tow. Gabriel laughed at such a domestic, tender thing, though he supposed that there was no truer love than that of a young boy and the dog that protected him with every ounce of his being. Despite the happiness in the air, the frown that suddenly etched itself onto Jesse’s features couldn’t be ignored.

 

“I came home one day after chasing rabbits in the field, and I was really happy to show the boy what I had caught for him, but when I came home...” Jesse paused. His face contorted at his memories. “I was so young then, so stupid and blind. That was the day I learned that humans could die, just as I could. That was the day I learned that I could know a hurt beyond a physical wound.”

 

Jesse took a deep, shuddering breath as he looked up at Gabriel. He was trying his hardest to smile, and it was enough to break Gabriel’s heart. “Dogs... we don’t live very long. Not compared to you. Normally we die first, and I think that’s what they were expecting to happen.”

 

“What do you mean?” Gabriel asked.

 

Jesse just shrugged as he brought his arms to lay across Gabriel’s lap, if only to start picked at his bandages again. The blood that had come from the nail left a small stain on his palm.

 

“In some places, people believe that whoever gets buried in the churchyard first is the one who helps all other souls cross over,” Jesse said. With a hesitant hand, he leaned back and carefully started to unbutton the top part of his shirt. “They didn’t want the little boy to be stuck with that job, and I didn’t, either. I wanted to help him one last time.”

 

As Jesse finally opened his shirt, Gabriel could easily make out the blemish of a fading scar across the man’s chest. It marred his skin in such a way that Gabriel could tell Jesse had met his end with a sharp blade to the heart, and he could only pray that whoever had done such a thing knew what they were doing. He truly hoped that Jesse didn’t have to suffer.

 

Still, with that bit of information, Gabriel knew with striking clarity just what Jesse was, or at least what he should’ve been.

 

“You... you’re a grim? A church grim?”

 

Jesse seemed almost sheepish as he stretched his body, back arching as he shot a genuine smile at Gabriel this time. He carefully pushed himself onto his knees, letting his arms land on Gabriel’s thighs as he looked upwards with his ever-shining eyes.

 

“I guess I used to be, at least before the witch found me,” he said. “After everyone left, I was so lonely that I couldn’t stand it. The witch came to my town one day in search of some book that a lady had left behind, and when she noticed that I was there, she asked if I wanted to be her friend.”

 

“And what happened then?” Gabriel had a sneaking suspicion as to where Jesse was going with this; he’d met enough witches in his lifetime to know their games.

 

“She gave me form again, a real, physical one. She said that she would give me the power to chose which body I wanted to use,” he said, his happiness bleeding into his voice, “The only thing I had to do was lure people into the desert. She said that if I brought her the bodies, then she would give me their spirits so I could have friends again.”

 

Gabriel truly felt that he could put no blame on Jesse. He found no fault in the man. All of this time, Jesse had been so _alone_ ; his masters had literally killed him, and then everyone abandoned him without at least putting his soul to rest. He was physically bound to be in the churchyard until the end of time. In that way, Gabriel was almost glad that the witch existed, if only to help Jesse be freed from his imprisonment and find a little company, even if it was just in ghosts.

 

“Why did she give you two forms?” Gabriel found himself asking. “Why not just be the grim? I sure as hell thought you were a friendly mutt, so I wasn’t scared of you, and you saw how Jack was a sucker for your puppy dog eyes.”

 

Jesse laughed as he leaned forward, sharp teeth glinting in the candlelight. “Because some people don’t like dogs, or even if they do, they like a person better. I met an archer once who hated dogs, but as soon as I changed, he drooled at my heels until I brought him to the witch!”

 

Gabriel could see why. That’s how many creatures, like shapeshifters or even some incubi, worked; they took the shape of whoever or whatever someone wanted most and then they took advantage of their prey. Jesse obviously wasn’t one to take advantage of people, but Gabriel would admit that he probably would’ve done as the archer had and followed the handsome stranger instead of a mangy mutt.

 

“Do you like one form over another?” Gabriel asked, “Or are they equal? I couldn’t image having a human body would be comfortable after being a grim all your life.”

 

“Actually, I’ve been a human longer than I have a grim! I spend most of my time like this,” Jesse said, motioning towards his body, “Just because it’s typically more comfortable. My fur gets hot during the day. Also, I’m really pretty.”

 

Gabriel snorted loudly at the end comment, and Jesse laughed right along beside him. He wouldn’t lie; what the man said was true. Whenever Gabriel had first joined the party, he had noticed that Jesse was, indeed, a rather handsome man, even if he still carried some doggish mannerisms.

 

“You _do_ look pretty good for being nearly a century old,” Gabriel teased, delighting as Jesse gave a snort of his own. “If you met one of my friends, she would demand you tell her how you haven’t aged.”

 

Jesse smiled brilliantly at him for just a moment, but in the flickering candlelight, something seemed to click and linger in the man’s eyes. The way Jesse slowly started to stare at Gabriel like he was a rabbit was enough to make Gabriel question what he was seeing.

 

“You know, it’s been a while since I’ve had a flesh and blood companion,” Jesse said, and his smile was more fitting for the devil than a benevolent spirit. “I wouldn’t mind to have some company before you and your friend leave. Might even show you what I did with the archer.”

 

“We’re in a _church_.”

 

Jesse simply laughed at him, unaffected by his surroundings as he let his fingers grip at Gabriel’s belt. They didn’t go any further, didn’t move an inch, and from the way he stared expectantly meant that they wouldn’t be doing anything without confirmation. The patience of a good companion.

 

Gabriel breathed a defeated sigh as he leaned forwards, taking Jesse’s face into his hands as he slowly, carefully, pressed a kiss to his lips. It was tender at first; both were tentative, both merely testing the waters, but as soon as Gabriel felt Jesse’s impish smile growing, he knew what came next.

 

Sharp teeth nipped at chapped lips. Whenever blood finally poured out, it stained both of them a great deal before Jesse ever pulled back to breathe. Gabriel didn’t even have time to catch his own breath before Jesse crashed back into him, this time latching onto his throat. Lustful, _hungry_ , just like a beast. As the man continued to assault Gabriel’s flesh, he eagerly palmed at Gabriel’s crotch, and he tried to forcefully rip the man’s pants down before getting caught at the belt. His fingers seemed unsure, and his body faltered at the setback.

 

Gabriel simply smiled as he brought his own hands down to his belt, deft fingers aiding in its removal as Jesse left bite marks in his flesh. As odd as it was, Gabriel found himself mesmerized by the man’s administrations; whenever his own blood would well up to the surface, slipping past the weeping wound caused by piercing teeth, Jesse would lap it up and move on to the nearest stretch of unmarked skin. It was only when he nosed along Gabriel’s pulse point that he suckled on the flesh instead of tearing into it; there was absolutely no doubt that it would leave a glorious painting of black and blue.

 

Gabriel had never had the pleasure of meeting an angel, but when Jesse pulled back, blood staining his lips with heavily blown pupils, it was as if the man was an absolute divine being. Without wasting as single moment, Jesse let his head drop down to his intended target. Gabriel’s own dick strained against its confines. The fabric of his boxers felt almost painfully tight, and he couldn’t help the muted groan that slipped past his lips when Jesse finally freed him.

 

“Jack’s going to kill me,” he murmured, “He’s going to-“

 

Any and all words died in Gabriel’s throat as Jesse took him into his mouth, and as Gabriel’s fingers tangled themselves into the man’s hair, it took all of his willpower not to force Jesse to take him all at once. The slick heat felt blistering, and it only caused Gabriel to moan in frustration when Jesse pulled back. He was grinning like the devil as his tongue moved playfully around the head, and once again, his mouth enveloped Gabriel without any hesitation. It was enough to drive a man mad.

 

When Jesse moved to do pull back again, Gabriel let his self-restraint dissipate as his grip tightened; he didn’t quite feel as bad as he thought he would when he pushed Jesse’s head down, forcing him to take more of his dick into his mouth at a faster rate. He watched with some sick fascination as Jesse gagged but continued on. Spit leaked out of the corner of his mouth as Gabriel gave a few shallow thrusts, and out of instinct, his hands pulled harshly at Jesse’s hair. The moan that reverberated in his throat was absolutely _obscene_. Gabriel felt the sound go straight to his dick.

 

He could feel Jesse struggle to jerk his own pants down, and once he had, he shamelessly rutted against Gabriel’s leg in a desperate attempt to get himself off. It was enough to make Gabriel try and match the pace; he bucked his hips almost wildly, an attempt to force himself farther into the Jesse’s mouth than he already was. He could feel the searing heat already coiling up in his stomach. With every moan, every high-pitched, shameless whine that came from Jesse’s throat, he felt himself draw nearer to the end. It wasn’t until Jesse’s hips shuddered, when he felt the man choking around his dick as he came, that Gabriel followed suit. With one last rough tug, he shoved Jesse’s head down take his entire length, and his entire body trembled as he spilled out into the man’s mouth. Jesse gagged beneath him as Gabriel finally let go of his head.

 

The sight of Jesse’s red, swollen lips was a rather appealing image, though the rest of him in the aftermath only added to the picture; his eyes were glassy, pleasantly sexed out and blown until the violent rings of gold were nearly hidden away. As Jesse caught his breath, he lazily wiped at his mouth. Gabriel had mercy on him as he helped clean away the trails of saliva and remnants of blood that had decided to linger.

 

“That was the most fun I’ve had in half a century,” Jesse said, his voice wrecked as he stood, stretching from where he had been on his knees. He held out his hand for Gabriel to take once they had both tidied up their clothing. “If it’s not too much trouble, would you come back and visit me sometime? You can even bring that Jack fella with you! I’m sure the ghosts liked having another living guest.”

 

Gabriel laughed as he pulled himself up with Jesse’s hand. Of course he would love to visit the man again. It would be good for both of them to have some company (not that he didn’t love Jack and Ana, but sometimes he just needed something that no platonic relationship could supply). No doubt Jesse would be lonely; he didn’t have any living friends, what with the witch taking them and all. It was a shame that he couldn’t go, too.

 

Actually... what was stopping him?

 

“Why don’t you come with us, Jesse?” Gabriel asked. “You could finally leave the desert. I know your home is here, that you were bound to the churchyard, but that was a long time ago. You could follow me.”

 

Jesse paused, his steps faltering as he processed just what exactly he’d been told. He seemed almost skittish as he turned to look at Gabriel straight on, his eyes wide with such raw emotion that it was enough to make Gabriel feel vulnerable himself.

 

“Do you really mean it?” he asked, and the hope in his voice was practically palpable.

 

“Of course. You’ll always have a home with me, Jesse. Don’t ever doubt that.”

 

————

 

“So, how did your adventure go?”

 

Ana was already waiting for Jack and Gabriel as they opened the doors to the large manor they all shared. The windows were open, fresh air and brilliant sunlight streaming in as the birds chirped their melodious songs, almost covering up the sounds of other hunters training in the courtyard. All three of them ignored it as both Jack and Gabriel sat down at the table. They took the tea that Ana gave them without question.

 

“It was... eventful, to say the least.” Jack spoke up first, smiling into his cup as the first familiar taste hit his tongue. “I sang a drinking song with some ghosts, danced a little bit with some lovely spirit named Vincent, and ended up not getting sick from the rain of the century. Though, if you ask me, Gabe had a pretty good time as well.”

 

Ana chuckled at the small synopsis and the suggestion. As she stirred a spoonful of honey into her own tea, she turned to Gabriel, raising her neatly groomed eyebrow in question.

 

“Would you like to explain to me what Jack means? I’m curious now.”

 

“I think it’s better if I showed you,” he said, though in a quieter voice he added, “Just don’t kill me for this, please.”

 

Gabriel’s shrill whistle carried through the pristine hallways of the peaceful manor. It wasn’t near as peaceful as the sound of heavy footfalls and clacking claws suddenly echoed throughout the place, and through the doors shot a black bolt of lightning, going so fast that it nearly couldn’t stop itself on the marble flooring.

 

A very large, slobbery church grim came and sat obediently by Gabriel’s side, tail thumping like a hammer against the chair. He seemed very proud of the fact that he hadn’t slammed into the table.

 

“Ah,” Ana said, and her voice cracked as she stared at the beast with blatant amusement. “I see you’ve finally brought home a stray, Gabriel!”

 

“Don’t call Jesse a stray! That’s just cruel. He may be a mangy, mannerless, bratty-  _ow!_ ”

 

Jack and Ana wheezed with laughter as Jesse smacked his paw down and flipped Gabriel out of his chair, though Gabriel cursed at the stupid grim for doing such a thing. He cursed even louder as Jesse sat square on his chest, letting drool hang threatening from his mouth, ready to drop whenever he pleased.

 

Gabriel chuckled as he wiped slobber from his face. However messy and, with the addition of Jesse, _wet_ it might be, how lucky was Gabriel to have such a wonderful family?

**Author's Note:**

> I really enjoy the idea of like, Jesse being a huge-ass dorky dog that can’t even walk on hardwood/stone floors because he’s a goof XD 
> 
> Please feel free to point out any errors, I’m literally blind as fuck. I hope you enjoyed this!


End file.
